'No dreamer is ever too small, and no dream is ever too small.' 

This quote has been Eunseo's go-through ever since she became a volleyball athlete. With her mom being against the idea of her playing the sport instead of staying focused on her academics, she basically has no other support systems left at home. Ever since her dad, the only person who stood up for her and gave her so much love, passed away years ago, the distance between her and her mom became wider as each day passed. For her, it was bearable because she had never been that close and affectionate with her mom anyway. But sometimes, things could get annoying whenever the woman stops her from doing the things that make her feel the happiest.

Talking about dreams and goals in life, Eunseo is someone who has a lot of them. She has grown to believe that it's never a bad thing to dream, no matter how difficult it is to reach. The athlete's biggest dream was to be in Seola's beautiful world, even if there were so many barriers that had been keeping her from making it happen. But now, after all the hard work and pain she's had to endure throughout the years, she's finally a few steps closer to achieving it.

“Player number 8, Kim Seola, runs towards the net to hit the ball towards the other side!”

“Saved! Player number 27, Son Eunseo, dives in to keep the ball from touching the ground. That was a close call, but Hanyang's libero is indeed fast!” 

The crowd's cheers were getting louder and the loud banging of the drums were echoing throughout the whole gymnasium. The game was intense, and both teams were catching up with each other's scores. Eunseo was able to return in the third set after resting her sprained arm, reassuring her teammates that she could still play despite what happened.

It was already the last set and the scores tied at 2-2. Eunseo's disappearance from the second set became quite hard, since the substitute's position was also a blocker and not a libero. Yonsei Girls were able to catch up to their opponent's score, most especially because of their spiker, Kim Seola. 

“Player number 12, Yoo Yeonjung jumps to hit the ball towards the other side, and....”

Bona and Exy jumped their highest to block the strong hit from Yeonjung, but they failed when the ball slipped through their palms and hit the ground. Seola tried her best to dive in to save it despite not being used to the position, but it was already too late for that.

“SCORE! Hanyang ends the fifth and last set with 25-23 as the final score. This results to 3-2, beating Yonsei Girls' consecutive winning record for this year's women's volleyball. Congratulations to Hanyang University and of course, to this season's new MVP, player number 27, Son Eunseo!”

Eunseo's teammates pulled her into a tight hug, some of them bursting out into tears when they heard what the announcer had said. Defeating Yonsei Girls, who were the toughest opponents of them all, was the biggest achievement they've ever had. 

Both teams did their final handshake, and Hanyang Girls stayed on the court to receive their silver medals. Eunseo received two since she earned the title of being the most valuable player this season; her friends couldn't be more proud, especially knowing that this was one of her dreams. 

Seola walked back to the bleachers with a cloudy mind. All her teammates were silent, but she was able to feel how disappointed they were at themselves for not working hard enough. She knew they all did their best, but as the team captain, it hurts to see them doubting their abilities because of losing.

“Seol, we did what we could. That's the most important part.” Bona said, assuring her best friend that everything will be alright and they will continue to train hard with her until the end.

“This is all her fault.” Soojung protested, who recently just got back from the comfort room. “If she let me do the work and not let me get kicked out on the remaining sets, we would've won!” 

“And win because of playing dirty? We all know Seola isn't that type of person, and she would never tolerate such behavior. Quit blaming our team captain, she never wanted any of this to happen,” Bona exclaimed, pulling the team captain close to her. 

“This is why she keeps on thinking she's always right, Kim Bona. You keep on babying her. Let her suffer from her useless actions; she's not even team captain material to begin with. This experience should be stuck in her head; the hard work her teammates exerted all these months got wasted because of her.” 

Bona clenched her fists and was about to talk back, but Soojung had already grabbed her bag and left the gymnasium. Seola just let out a deep sigh and stood up in the bleacher, placing the backpack strap on her shoulder before walking out as well.

Eunseo was able to witness the pained expression on her long-time idol's face before her silhouette disappeared. 

“Seola!” Bona yelled, chasing the girl who was about to walk out of the school gate. Seola didn't respond and continued to walk, tears running down her cheeks. 

“Kim Seola!” Bona yelled again, and this time, her best friend stopped. 

Bona immediately ran towards the athlete and pulled her into a warm embrace, Seola's face buried in the crook of her neck. She heavily sighed, gently brushing the latter's hair with her fingers to calm her down. She could hear the soft whimpers, but Bona just ignored it and tightened her hug instead.

“Hey, it's okay. We'll win next time, okay?” Bona uttered, rubbing Seola's back to stop her from crying too much. 

“I'm sorry.” Seola whispered in between her tears. “I should've worked harder and helped my teammates more.” 

“Seol, none of this is your fault. Don't listen to Soojung. You know she has always been insecure of you because she couldn't ever get the achievements you've been bagging ever since you became an athlete. She's also probably jealous because this is her last year as a volleyball player and she never experienced being the team captain.” Bona replied.

Seola looked up, only to be welcomed by her best friend's heartwarming smile. Seeing that made all her worries disappear, and she realized that she only needed her reassuring words to be able to stand up again. Bona has always been there for her through the ups and downs, and the girl has never left her side. Besides her parents, Seola has always been thankful that she has someone as thoughtful and caring as Bona. 

She could never ask for more. 

“Now stop crying and let me see that beautiful smile of yours.” Bona said, poking Seola's cheeks. The girl just rolled her eyes before pulling away from the embrace. 

“Are you hungry? Let's get your favorite bread,” Bona suggested, wrapping an arm around Seola's shoulders. Both girls started walking side by side, enjoying the cold breeze of the wind. 

“Your treat?” 

“Of course, my captain.” 

Eunseo got home after a long and tiring day, her shoulders and joints aching a lot because of the intense game she had with Yonsei Girls. The arm she sprained during the game was starting to ache again and she had to wrap dozens of ice cubes using a towel as a cold compress to help lessen the pain. Lying down on the couch, she reached for the remote control and opened the television. 

“In today's sports news, Yonsei Girls' consecutive wins has finally been beaten by Hanyang Girls with a score of 3-2, making them the first team to win against Yonsei university's volleyball team after five consecutive years of holding the gold title.”

It was Eunseo's mom reporting, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at the sight. The woman looked like a professional while doing it and it just annoyed her more. 

“Since when was she interested in spo